Intruder/Fire alarm procedures are written on the walls of every room in both English and French. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the procedure as you never know when you’ll need to know what to do.
Alert security on the ground floor if need be.
There is a Police Station across the esplanade: 9 Rue Fabert, 75007 Paris
Don't worry, this has never happened at ULIP but it's always safer to be prepared and this video provides useful information in case you find yourself in the midst of an attack.
If you need to contact counter-terror police but are afraid to call for fear of giving away your location, TEXT 114 to alert them. They will not reply to prevent a phone notification giving you away.
PICKPOCKETING Pickpockets are common in Paris - more so than you might think. Here is some advice on how to prevent your valuables from being stolen while you’re travelling in and around Paris.
Avoid taking valuables out: While leaving your apartment without your phone may seem impossible, think about other valuables you’re carrying with you. Do you really need to be carrying your passport? Could you leave your laptop at uni while you’re popping out for lunch? How much cash are you likely to spend? Where possible, leave anything that’s expensive or sentimental at home.
Keep your valuables in a safe place: It’s easy to leave your phone in your coat pocket but it’s also the first place a pickpocket will look when they’re trying to grab it. Instead, leave valuables in the bottom of your bag or in an inside pocket of your coat. Always use a bag or pockets with a zip on them. The harder it is for you to find your valuables, the less likely a pickpocket is to find it.
Keep your cash in multiple places: If you’re carrying a lot of cash, be sure to store it in multiple places. This way, you’re less likely to lose all of your cash - just some of it.
Use an RFID blocking wallet: There is a popular scam at the moment which involves people near you using specialist equipment to abuse the contactless feature on your debit card to take money from you. You can, however, buy special wallets that block the signal from these devices to ensure that nobody takes your money or card details.
Insurance: It’s fairly likely that you will fall victim to pickpockets at some point during your time here. Because of this, it’s wise for you to take our some kind of insurance to protect against the loss of your valuables.
Scams: There’s a lot of popular scams that people try and use in Paris. These are often a team effort and involve one person distracting you (sometimes by pretending to be deaf, asking for directions, tying string to your finger) while another attempts to take your belongings. Be wary of such scams and be cautious when strangers try to get your attention.
Areas to be cautious in: You could be pickpocketed or scammed anywhere in Paris, or in the world more generally, but there are certain areas of the city in which pickpockets are more common. These tend to be particularly busy or crowded areas that are usually full of unsuspecting tourists : Montmartre, Saint-Michel, the Champs-Élysées, Les Puces, Trocadéro - to name but a few. The metro is also a place where you should pay particular attention to your possessions.
Metro Safety Make sure you’re following your most used Metro and RER lines on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates on circulation in and around Paris. This way, if a station is closed or if there is a safety risk, you’ll be more likely to know about it before you get there!
Try not to travel alone on the metro or the bus, especially late at night or if you’ve had something to drink. It’s not always a safe place to be alone and there are some unsavoury types lurking about on the platforms and in the carriages - especially when it’s quiet. Where possible, travel in groups or try talking to someone on the phone. Share your location if you can and let your friends know when you’re home or, even better, see if you can crash at a friend’s for the night. Useful numbers: If you experience an incident on the metro that puts you or someone else at risk (sexual harassment, racism, homophobia, unattended luggage, violence etc), you can contact the RATP via the following numbers. Remember to include the time at which you sent the message and the station at which the incident occured. If you are on an RER C, try to include the name of the train (VICK, SARA etc). These numbers will only work if you have a French phone number: Call: 3117 Text: 31177
